Motivation would not be enough for startup entrepreneurs

An entrepreneur's challenge at startup can be very tiring and discouraging, because that early stage of entrepreneurship is often very demanding and less rewarding. There is always a wide gap between the efforts and resources invested on one hand and the reward gained on the other. The situation of things at this early stage of entrepreneurship, leaves entrepreneurs burning resources unproductively and thinking of closing business eventually.

Entrepreneurship is commonly practiced in return for one form of reward or another [which often serves as motivation] and because of this it can start to feel meaningless to continue during that early period of startup where there is too little or no reward coming. It can also start to feel like one is getting work procedures wrong.

I know how this feels too. I am having my fair share of that experience currently.

I started The Newsghost a year and few months ago and, even with almost no revenue or any form of reward coming, I have not closed business. I found out that something more than reward keeps me going.

What keeps me going is a commitment that is untied to motivation.

I believe that startup entrepreneurs would need a high level of this kind of commitment to walk that long road of growth to maturity.

Commitment is commonly defined as being dedicated to a cause or activity. Recent scientific studies believe that motivation is a mediator of commitment, a point of view that says motivation can influence commitment. This is true. But what happens when there is no motivation?

Startup entrepreneurs must remain committed when no motivation. Their commitment would have to be driven by something other than motivation or nothing. They must realise this and hold on to it most, because it is likely that motivation would not be gained or found early enough. Ones whose commitment are driven by reward or some sort of motivation are more at risk of closing business at that early stage where there is too little or no reward coming. This can also happen at later stages when changes in operating environment and condition affect the flow and volume of motivation, so established entrepreneurs would also need to have a commitment that does not rely on motivation.

A good example for startup entrepreneurs to have in mind is the case of WordPress which is one of the most successful blogging platform today and is noted to have started in 2003 with 'fewer users than you can count on your fingers and toes.' Another one is Coca Cola, the beverage giant said to have sold 'an average of 9 bottles per day in 1886' its first year of production.